1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector having terminals for detecting fitting of a female connector housing with a male connector housing.
2. Description of Related Art
JP-A-2001-196134 discloses a connector in which fitting of a female connector housing with a male connector housing is detected with a pair of short-circuit terminals provided in the male connector housing and a fitting detector terminal provided in the female connector housing. In the connector, when the female connector housing has been completely fitted with the male connector housing, the short-circuit terminals are in contact with the fitting detector terminal to form a closed circuit, whereby fitting of the female connector housing in the male connector housing is detected.
In the female connector housing formed is a locking arm having an engaging portion to engage with an engaging portion of the male connector housing. The locking arm is formed as a cantilever having its rear end being supported and its front end being free. Here, xe2x80x9crear endxe2x80x9d is the end of the locking arm opposite to the direction in which the locking arm gets near to the male connector housing in the process of the fitting operation (hereinafter, the direction will be referred to as xe2x80x9cfitting directionxe2x80x9d), and xe2x80x9cfront endxe2x80x9d is the end of the locking arm in the fitting direction. The locking arm is elastically vertically deformable in the vicinity of the front end. In the process of the fitting operation, the vicinity of the front end of the locking arm is pressed by part of the male connector housing so as to be displaced downward with the rear end of the locking arm functioning as a fulcrum. As the male and female connector housings are further brought near to each other, the portion of the locking arm returns upward to engage with the engaging portion of the male connector housing. This engagement accomplishes fitting of the female connector housing with the male connector housing.
The fitting detector terminal is made of a bent metal plate. The fitting detector terminal is disposed within a recess below the locking arm such that the bent portion of the fitting detector terminal is in the rear. The upper part of the bent fitting detector terminal can act as an elastic portion of a cantilever structure having its rear end being supported and its front end being free, like the locking arm. The elastic portion can move together with the locking arm. At the same time when the locking arm returns upward, the elastic portion also returns upward to come into contact with the short-circuit terminal within the male connector housing.
If the vicinity of the front end of the locking arm is easy to be displaced downward, fitting may be cancelled when the female connector housing receives force opposite to the fitting direction, for example, because an electric wire of a female terminal provided on the female connector housing is pulled. In the connector having the above construction, therefore, to surely hold fitting of the female connector housing with the male connector housing, the vicinity of the front end of the locking arm including the engaging portion is preferably hard to be displaced downward. However, the vicinity of the front end of the locking arm hard to be displaced downward may bring about a problem that the fitting operation of the female connector housing with the male connector housing can not be smoothly performed.
It is desired to improve the fitting holding power without deteriorating the fitting operability. In the connector having the above construction, however, such improvement can not easily be realized because adjustment of strength or rigidity of the locking arm formed integrally with the female connector housing is difficult.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector having terminals for detecting fitting of a female connector housing with a male connector housing, wherein the fitting holding power can be improved without deteriorating the fitting operability.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a connector comprises a male connector housing, a female connector housing that can be fitted with the male connector housing, a short-circuit terminal made of a conductive material and provided in one of the male and female connector housings, and a fitting detector terminal made of a conductive material and provided in the other of the male and female connector housings. The fitting detector terminal is displaced in a process of a fitting operation of the female connector housing with the male connector housing and comes into contact with the short-circuit terminal to form a closed circuit when the female connector housing is completely fitted with the male connector housing. The connector further comprises a locking member formed as a component separate from either of the male and female connector housings. The locking member is fixed to the fitting detector terminal and placed in the other of the male and female connector housings. The locking member is displaced together with the fitting detector terminal in the process of the fitting operation. The locking member can engage with the one of the male and female connector housings when the female connector housing is completely fitted with the male connector housing.
According to the invention, the locking member that is displaced in the process of the fitting operation and engages with one of the male and female connector housings to realize fitting is not formed integrally with any housing. The locking member is formed as a component separate from either of the male and female connector housings and fixed to the fitting detector terminal. Therefore, in comparison with a case wherein the locking member is formed integrally with one of the male and female connector housings, improvement of the fitting holding power can be easily realized without deteriorating the fitting operability.